Movie: The Rewrite
Unrated, although I would probably give it a PG-13 rating
1 hour 46 minutes
Grade: B+
In a Nutshell: I
stumbled upon this romantic comedy on an airplane, flying home from England
this week. It was given a very limited
release in US theaters in February 2015, and then was immediately out on DVD only
one month later. Hugh Grant gave a
special greeting to Delta passengers on the airline release, explaining “It’s a
comedy. At least, I think so.”
Hugh Grant is an expert at a stammering, dashing, befuddled
leading man. The dialogue is witty,
quick, and charming. The story isn’t
completely original, but the message is one worth hearing again.
Uplifting Theme:
·
Like a carousel, keep moving forward.
·
“As long as you’re alive, you can forgive and be
forgiven. Once you’re dead, it gets
significantly harder.” – line from Keith’s movie “Paradise Misplaced”
by Jane Austin
·
Your 3rd Act hasn’t been written yet.
Things I liked:
·
I adore Allison Janney in anything. She plays Professor Weldon, an uptight Jane
Austin expert who is hilarious and steals all her scenes. Merchandising for this movie will revolve
around her character and this "What Would Jane Do? item.
·
J.K. Simmons is such a likeable actor, as is his
character in the film.
·
When is Oscar winner Marisa Tomei ever going to
start aging?
·
There are a lot of funny moments. My favorite is the faculty cocktail party.
·
I’ve never been to Binghampton, New York, but it’s
apparently one of the Top 10 most cloudy/rainy cities and home of the “Speedy
Sandwich.” Want to see what one looks like?
·
I thought it was sweet when Keith said “My son
is the only thing I had a hand in producing that didn’t need a rewrite.”
and 
.
Things I didn’t like:
·
I know some people can’t stand Hugh Grant, but I
quite fancy him. Didn’t that sound
British? In real life, he may be a
scoundrel, but I like a lot of his movies.
Funny lines:
·
“Nice alliteration. I’m an English major.” – Chloe (Olivia
Luccardi)
“I thought I recognized a fellow sufferer.”
– Keith
·
“U.S. Marine Corps. I like to follow the rules.” – Dr. Hal Lerner
“Writers Guild of America. I feel the same way.” – Keith
·
“Dr. Lerner?
You must have an opinion on this.” – Keith
“I have a wife and 4 daughters. I have no opinions.” – Dr. Lerner
·
“When I was young, I thought having the perfect
Shakespeare quote for any given situation would be helpful.” – Jim Harper
(funnyman Chris Elliott)
“It’s surprisingly unhelpful.” – Keith
“Yeah, it seems to really annoy people.” –
Jim
·
“Give teaching a shot. It gets its hooks in you. You’ll see.” – Jim
“With all respect, I don’t believe anything
worth knowing can be taught in the classroom and I intend to do as little as
possible while carrying on this charade.” – Keith
“Yeah, if I gave it any thought, I’d
probably feel the same way.” – Jim
·
Professor Weldon scolds Keith for not acting
like a professional teacher and Keith assures her “I’ll watch Dead Poets Society
to prepare.” GREAT movie! I highly recommend it.
to prepare.” GREAT movie! I highly recommend it.
·
“What about my car?” – Keith
“It’s a Hyundai. It’ll be there in the morning.” – Holly
·
“Are you trying to fill a spiritual vacancy with
alcohol and young women?” – Holly
“Yes.” – Keith
·
“I’ll work on reality TV…either as a writer or a
contestant.” – Keith
·
“I’m hoping there will be something else. Much more else.” - Keith
Writing tips learned
from the movie:
·
As an author, I aspire to be a great
writer. As a realist, I know I have a
long way to go before anyone would ever call my work “great.” There is an interesting conversation between
Keith and his agent. She asks him “You
know what J.K. Rowling said?” He quips “Where
did I put my last billion?” She tries to
inspire him by explaining “J.K. Rowling said that failure was the best thing
that ever happened to her because it freed her from the inessential; it allowed
her to focus on the thing that mattered most – writing.”
·
“The difference between the right word and the
almost right word is the difference between lightening and a lightening bug.” –
Mark Twain
·
Keith explains to his screen-writing students
what a protagonist is by asking “What is his goal and how will he overcome
obstacles?”
Tips for Parents:
·
In the airplane version I saw, all mild
profanity was bleeped out, as well as a soft blur that was used to cover up
someone flipping the bird.
· Keith sleeps with a young girl, but you only see him crawl out of bed.
Great movies about inspiring teachers:
· Keith sleeps with a young girl, but you only see him crawl out of bed.
Great movies about inspiring teachers:
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